RARE VIDEO: Mike Vernon playing in Sask. long before his NHL days

Mike Vernon is one of several new members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, but long before he played at the elite level of the NHL, he was grinding it out in junior.

And we found some rare footage of him playing in Saskatchewan over 40 years ago, while he was in the WHL.

A story that aired back in 1982 on CTV Saskatoon (CFQC TV as it was more commonly known at the time) showed a much younger Mike Vernon at the Saskatoon arena, where he was getting set to suit-up against the Blades as net-minder for the Calgary Wranglers. Check out the old goalie pads in the video player above.

At the time, he was sent back down to Calgary after a brief stint with the Calgary Flames.

Local reporter Kevin Waugh had a microphone in hand, asking Vernon how he felt being back in the WHL.

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"I was quite disappointed at the time but, I look at it all now. And I'm still young, and I still have a future ahead of me and that so I just gotta keep on working hard and don't stop,” said Vernon.

And we found more rare footage of him playing later that night, when he would show off some of his goaltender skills during their contest against the Saskatoon Blades.

Little did fans know at the time, sitting in the old Saskatoon arena, they were watching a future hall of famer who would go on to win two Stanley Cup championships, and be a five-time NHL all-star.